HONG KONG – Auctioneers and galleries kept busy all weekend as millions in art, antiques and other collectibles sold at Art Basel’s first fair in Asia and events held by Christie’s and Bonhams.

Christie’s sold $97.7 million at its modern and contemporary Asian art sale, part of its annual spring auctions, including “Two Standing Nudes,” by the 20th-century painter Sanyu, for $5.8 million. “Water Music,” by Zao Wou-ki, sold for $4.3 million, exceeding its $2.3 million estimate. The abstract painter, who died last month, is increasingly popular among Chinese collectors for his blending of Chinese and Western techniques.

The sales follow several big ones in New York, including a record-breaking $495 million Christie’s auction two weeks ago, but also reassured market-watchers that Chinese buyers are back in business.

Art sales in Greater China, including Hong Kong, fell 24% last year to $13.7 billion as economic turmoil weighed on spending, according to the European Fine Art Fair. The results “reinforce market confidence for the next season,” said Eric Chang, Christie’s expert in Asian 20th-century and contemporary art, in a statement early Monday.

Christie’s sold 81% of the works that were offered. In May 2012, Christie’s sold just 60% of its Asian 20th-century and contemporary works for $81.1 million.

Southeast Asian art continued to be popular among buyers at the Christie’s sale. “Dance” by contemporary Indonesian painter I Nyoman Masriadi sold for $423,465, more than four times the pre-sale high estimate, while modern Indonesian artist Hendra Gunawan’s “Fruit Seller” sold for $780,517, almost three times the pre-sale high estimate.

Across town, Bonhams sold more than $21.9 million of Chinese paintings, antiques and jewelry over the weekend, including a $1 million blue-and-white vase from the Qianlong period.

Two smaller auctioneers were also in on the action. Ravenel, based in Taiwan, sold $12.4 million in art and jewelry, led by the $2.4 million sale of “Nature Hivernale” by painter Chu Teh-Chun, while Poly Auction, China’s largest auction house and the third-largest in the world, sold $3.2 million of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy on Sunday. Poly’s summer sales event, announced less than a week before it started, concludes on Tuesday with sales of snuff bottles, jewelry and watches.

Art Basel, which completed its first Hong Kong fair Sunday, drew more than 60,000 visitors. It reported “strong sales” but said it doesn’t track specific transactions. Exhibiting galleries, however, were reporting sales all weekend, with Galerie Gmurzynska’s $1.3 million sale of Fernando Botero’s “Quarteto” among the standouts.